Getting Home Care at a Time When It’s Most Needed

Mass Senior Care News

Your aging parent has slowed down. He or she is a little frailer, a little more forgetful, a little more prone to forgetting to eat or take their medicine. Maybe mom or dad suffered a recent fall, or is returning home in a weakened state after an illness or time spent at a hospital or rehab facility. In any case, even if your loved one has always been fiercely independent, it has become increasingly obvious that now is the time some kind of help is needed. Finding a family caregiver to take on the responsibility is just not possible, considering work or home schedules, or geographic proximity. So, you need to find a trusted and reliable home care agency that will provide your loved one with the kind of care that will keep them safe and happy.

Ideally, in a perfect world, you’d like the home health aide to be at mom or dad’s side all day and all night. But, that’s not practical. At this stage, your parent probably doesn’t require help all day and, in fact, might fight it. Even at 80, or 90, there is nothing wrong with a little alone time. Additionally, from an economic perspective, the cost of around-the-clock care might be more than you want (or can) spend. Four hours a day, at least for starters, may seem just about right.

So, what is the best time of day to have the home health aide? Although every case is different – for example, you might want to schedule a home health aide around the time of day when family members are less likely to be available – home care agencies say that mornings seem to be the most sought after time. This is true for the following reasons:

1. Getting them going in the morning.
Many older people start slowly; it can be difficult for them to get out of bed in the morning. This is when they can benefit from a little help. A companion can help them get bathed, groomed and dressed, ready to tackle the day ahead of them.

2. Making sure they eat a good breakfast and take their meds.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – regardless of your age. For many seniors, medications must be taken with meals, and so getting the day started with a healthy, full belly can be a serious boost for your loved one. A home health aide can make sure this happens.

3. Doing chores around the house.
Starting the day off with a clean house can make a difference – and minimize the likelihood of clutter (that is often the cause of falls). A clean, uncluttered environment is also a benefit to one’s mental state. Having the home health aide run the vacuum cleaner and clean the dishes can help improve both the look of the home and one’s mental frame of mind.

4. Running errands.
A caregiver in the morning can help your loved one get errands out of the way – grocery shopping, visiting a doctor, visiting friends – when they’re fresh and feeling their best (and when supermarkets, grocery stores and other stores might not be as crowded).

5. Getting them in a good frame of mind.
This can be particularly important for those seniors who live alone. Having positive interaction in the morning can help them get their day off on the right foot. Discussing news events, playing cards, or simply sharing the couch with another person sure beats watching television alone (or sitting by yourself in a dark room). It can eliminate feelings of loneliness, boredom and depression.

If you or a loved one are in need of senior home care in Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County Massachusetts, please consider our agency.

Have Questions? We’re here to help. No obligations.

This agency is a member of Companion Connection Senior Care, a national organization of non-medical home care agencies. All members have access to recognized experts in the field of homecare, as well as the most current educational resources, enabling them to provide the highest level of care.